The Philippines is hosting this year’s Strategic Trade Management (STM) Summit, marking the first time for the country, prompting President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to call it a “remarkable milestone.”

Marcos said the achievement is not only the Philippines’ but the entire Southeast Asia region.

“In the past three years, Southeast Asia has been hosting global discussions on the export control of strategic goods, such as those used for military purposes or the production of weapons of mass destruction,” he said.

“This time, the STM Summit brings together not only our ASEAN neighbors but also partners from different parts of the world — from the United States to Japan, from Europe to Africa. This demonstrates our faith in the power of collaboration to improve and secure our global supply chains, open our door for trade to flourish, grow wealth, and help people prosper,” he said.

Marcos acknowledged that the world is growing more complex, with emerging technologies posing challenges in trade management.

“The rapid pace of advancement requires us to be more agile and responsible. We must address both the speed and dual-use nature of these new technologies,” he said.

He noted the Philippines has launched a strategic investment plan focused on developing key industries, aiming to empower the country and improve its position in the global market.

“We have developed policies requiring individuals and entities engaging in STM activities to register and receive authorization to deliver their services,” he said.

“We have also implemented programs to educate not only border control and import/export officers in fulfilling their responsibilities but also stakeholders to properly comply with our rules and regulations,” he added.

The Chief Executive vowed to continue upgrading industry standards and modernizing regulations for a more competitive region.